Clandestine Chains
by shikigami-kun
Summary: A student's life is changed forever. Destinies forever intertwined will determine the final outcome. This is rather dark and there are Warnings inside. But please take a look and drop me a review. All comments are welcome! Domo!
1. Prologue

Title: Clandestine Chains  
  
Author: dorei no ryu  
  
Disclaimers: If I could claim the Saiyuki boys as my own I would. But I can't!!! And if I had one ounce the talent Kazuya Minekura does, I would be rich!! :D Unfortunately, I'm dirt poor. Sorry.  
  
Summary: Another AU take on how the Saiyuki-ikkou got together.  
  
Author's Note: I know, I know, like there's not enough of those out there already. But hear me out. This is much darker than I usually write and will hopefully be different enough to keep your interest. I actually had a lot of fun writing it thus far. I just hope my dragon muse will stick with me until I'm a bit further along, if not finished. Oh, and the boy's will probably be a bit OOC, but hey this is an AU. Domo, Domo for reading!! And don't forget how important those reviews are to a writer!! Now for one last thing......  
  
WARNING: This fic has Yaoi/shonnen ai situations, most of which is non- con. If this bothers you do NOT read this. Please, please keep this in mind when you begin reading. There is also some minor cursing.  
  
Now, on with the fic!!!

* * *

Night, mistress of shadow, cast out her indigo cape encrusted with chips of diamonds. Silently she wept her melancholy as once again her toils to offer love crossed couples a chance to kindle the fires of desire get twisted and shorn. Of course the veil of darkness does permit most to cherish sweet caresses, however, more oft than not, her efforts are thwarted by those who wish to destroy and mutilate under her concealing curtain. And it was worse when her sister, the Moon, vanished allowing even more shadows to haunt the living. And it was a night like this that two young souls would be forever changed. But that was only the beginning.  
  
Two people walked the darkened streets in search of a particular restaurant. But as they carefully made their way, they began to wonder at the directions that a local merchant had given them. As such, it wasn't a surprise when one decided to voice this concern aloud. "I think that newsstand gentleman has given us bad directions."  
  
They stood at a street corner and looked in all directions. "I'm beginning to think so too. None of these street names look familiar. I think it might be best to turn around and head back to the hotel. We'll just have to find another place to eat." He smiled remorsefully.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Gonou. It never mattered where we ate, as long as we were together." Thoughtfully, she reached out to place a hand on his shoulder encouragingly. "Come on, let's hurry back. I remember seeing a nice little Chinese restaurant about a block from the hotel. And to be honest, this place gives me the creeps."  
  
"Alright," he acquiesced easily. He could never say 'no' to her anyway. "It's just that I wanted tonight to be special. Once classes begin, there won't be much time for us to be together." She squeezed his arm gently to reinforce her understanding. His sad grin slowly transformed into a playful smirk. "But, as always, you're right. This place doesn't seem all too friendly to me either. But don't you worry, cause I'll always protect you."  
  
They started walking arm in arm in the same direction that they had come. "Now, now, little brother. I do believe it should fall to the eldest to protect the other. And that would be me."  
  
"You're only older by about a minute and a half. I don't think that counts in our case. Besides it is the man's duty to protect his loved ones."  
  
She giggled softly. "How positively chauvinistic of you to assume a woman cannot take on the same role. But don't worry, I already forgive you."  
  
They walked on silently for a few minutes. Finally a wayward thought passed soft lips. A light tenor muttered, "I will miss our time together."  
  
"You know, it's not like we'll never see each other again. We'll be at the same school, just studying different majors. And we wouldn't even have that chance if not for the scholarships."  
  
"Yes, we were very lucky to get scholarships that allowed us to go to the same school. I still wonder what might have become of us if we didn't get them."  
  
"Probably trying to find jobs and hoping we could somehow find a way to live." The ever-present smile that graced her features suddenly frowned at the thought. "Can we stop talking about the what-ifs? It was by God's good grace that we don't have to worry about it any more."  
  
"Yes, Kanan." He smiled down at her as he patted the hand wrapped around his arm.  
  
"Kanan? What a lovely name?" A deep voice mocked from a shadow. The pair froze immediately. Danger sparked the air as a number of figures emerged from the darkened areas neither even noticed before.  
  
Suddenly, terror gripped their hearts. The young woman whispered pleadingly, "Gonou?" In response to her unspoken request, Gonou instinctively pushed her behind him as he took a protective step forward.  
  
He hastily whispered back, "stay behind me."  
  
Just off to the right, from the direction the voice came three more shadowy forms appeared. One continued to walk in their direction and circled the unwitting prey carefully measuring and assessing each. Finishing his quick survey, he stopped mere inches in front of them. "You two look a little lost, perhaps we could help you find your way." A number of the henchmen chuckled at the comment.  
  
Trying to remain calm despite the wave of fear that threatened to debilitate him, Gonou answered, "That will not be necessary. We know how to get back on our own." He was about to push past them when a hand pressed into his chest.  
  
"Don't be in such a rush." Now that the leader was even closer to them, his gaze flickered back and forth between two pairs of equally bright emerald eyes. Another quick assessment passed thought his mind. "You know you two look very similar to each other." Then he added with a grin that sent shivers up their spines, "And quite beautiful too. Don't you think so boys?" That sent his companions into another bout of knowing chuckles.  
  
"Thanks but we must be going." Once again, Gonou tried to get past, his hand tightly clasping onto Kanan's wrist. He was prepared to pull her with him then swing her in front as they walked away but he didn't get the chance. Before he got two steps his vision flashed white and his cheek stung harshly. He heard Kanan call his name in dismay and it took him an extra moment to realize what had just happened.  
  
The next instant puzzled him even more. Somehow, in automatic response his hand retaliated. The gang leader was nursing his own bruised cheek as he stared daggers at the man who defied him. Snarling, he spat, "You shouldn't have done that." With a flick from his other hand all hell broke loose.  
  
A few of the members rushed him, but Gonou managed to hold them off with only minor bumps and bruises. Others quickly followed and soon some started to hit their mark. All the while, he kept Kanan at his back while she cried out for him, warning him when another entered the fray. And when he heard her urgently shout his name, abruptly followed by an agonized scream, he knew he had failed.  
  
Before the pained cry could fade away into the night, the world stopped. His attackers had ceased their blows, which he didn't notice in his scramble to get to his falling sister. Unconsciously, he was repeating her name as he caught her before she could fall to the ground. He didn't know exactly what had caused his beloved twin pain but he knew that she was already fading from this world. "Kanan? Kanan, dear sister, what has happened to you?"  
  
Cradled in his arms, she forced her eyes to look into his face. Gasping for breath she managed, "I ... I had t-to... protect my... baby brother."  
  
"No! No, that was supposed to be my job. I was supposed to protect you." His throat clenched as a shuddering breath passed through her, heralding the inevitable. "Please, please don't leave me. I couldn't bear it."  
  
"I...can't....stay. I have....served – my purpose. I saved you."  
  
"No, I don't want to live if you are not here. I don't want to be alone. Please!"  
  
"I love you, little brother."  
  
"I love you too." He couldn't be sure if she heard him as the light in her eyes vanished. His heart broke. And in reply to the horrible torture he was enduring, a heart-wrenching cry reverberated through the night.  
  
However the depressing scene depicted before the gang – one that they helped create – did not touch their hearts. In fact it only infuriated them. The leader grumbled, "There goes some of our profit. At least we still have one left. Grab him and let's get out of here before the cops show up."  
  
A few moved toward their distraught prey. As they clamped down on his shoulders, Gonou shoved them away violently. "Get away from me, you bastards!" He then clenched the rapidly cooling body closer to him, not wishing to be separated from his other half.  
  
Realizing that they were not going to take him so easily, a silent decision was made. One of the men brought a club down on the back of Gonou's head. Darkness danced in his vision. And as he slipped into oblivion's embrace, he whispered her name one last time before being forced from her side.

=========  
  
It was impossible to tell time as one slipped from one reality to the next. And overwhelming grief and pain only disoriented the mind further. So it was that Cho Gonou found himself lying on the floor in a strange room. Voices spoke above him, "So what do you think Master Chin?"  
  
"Not bad, not bad at all." A figure crouched down before him and a lanky cold hand grasped his chin, pulling him up. Vacant verdant gems dilated wide from the pain stared up at the man. "Although you could have been nicer to him." The hand released him and he fell happily to the floor. "Of course once he's all cleaned up, he'll fetch us all a hefty profit. Green eyes are a novelty. And his looks are exquisite."  
  
"Do you think you're father will be pleased?"  
  
"Undoubtedly. But as you know I always try out the merchandise first. If he passes my test my father will break him soon enough for us to start reaping the benefits."  
  
Suddenly, Gonou felt himself being hefted up and drug across the room. Thrown face first onto a large wooden desk, cruel hands grabbed his wrists and pinned his elbows, forcing him flat against the uncompromising wood. The flick of a knife and the sensation of cool metal on his hip brought him to vivid awareness. As the knife jerked and sliced through his pants, painful realization of what was to come slammed into him. He struggled frantically to break free of their hold. Another strong hand pressed him firmly down at the middle of his back. "Now, now, pet. It will do you well to learn who your master is. And this is your first lesson."  
  
The abrupt agony that ripped through him tore a scream from his aching throat. Tears came unbidden as the perverse violation continued. He could feel himself tearing under the assault and he could not stop the cries that escaped him. He begged all the gods above to free him from this humiliation and his soul splintered when he was denied. No nightmare before or after could ever compare to the terror he faced this night. And the worst part was that it was still far from over.  
  
Too ravaged and numb from the shock and torment, he didn't even notice when his new master had finished with him. Somewhere in the back of his mind he registered the conversation. "So boss?"  
  
"He will do nicely. Take him to my father, he will know what to do with him."  
  
And like that, his entire universe shattered into a million pieces. The scars he would bear from this night would forever remind him that you never know when fate will toss a card at you that can change your life in an instant. Beaten, bleeding and humiliated Gonou no longer cared what became of him. There was nothing to live for any more and he blindly accepted what fate dealt him.

* * *

Oh, what have I done to my dear sweet Hakkai!!! Aahhhhh!!! That's a bad dragon muse, BAD dragon!! I thought you were my Angst dragon, not the Down right EVIL dragon. Hopefully, things will perk up, but knowing me, I doubt it. hehe.  
  
Just a few more Author's Notes now that the first post is up:  
  
I wanted to write a version that in a way could exist in our world. Therefore, there are no Youkai in this fic. And I am still debating the whole Hakuryu issue. I know, how could it be Saiyuki without him? And as much as I LOVE dragons, it kills me that he may not show up in the gentle white form we are familiar with. But like I said, the subject is still under review. I may change my mind later on, but we'll just have to wait and see. Sorry!!  
  
Relationships and ages have been slightly altered in this version. That will become clearer in the coming chapters. Specifically, I could never totally believe the whole Sister/Lover thing for Hakkai. The innuendo is still there for those that do, but I am thinking that as twins(which I made them here) they have a very strong connection to each other. And that there is nothing more than sibling love here. Just so you know, Hakkai and Gojyo are the same age. Sanzo is a few years older and Goku is still 18.  
  
Also, I have decided to keep out most common manga phrases out of the writing. So there won't be any Yare yare's, Baka's or Urusai's in this. Sorry!!!! This is a hybred of times and places, however I will try to keep to Anime sounding names for sake of continuity. Besides, 'Joe' or 'Mike' or 'Cristy' just doesn't sound right with Hakkai, Gojyo, Sanzo and Goku. That's my opinion anyway.  
  
Lastly, if I think of something else, I'll be sure to let you know. Otherwise a REVIEW would be GREAT!!!!! I hope you guys can take a hint. ;) Later!!


	2. Chapter 1

8 Months later

"Thanks, man. Catch ya later." The young man said as he stepped off the bus. One hand raised up to wave bye to the driver behind him. Not bothering to look back to see if the gesture was returned, he headed for his small apartment a few blocks down.

Casually walking along, his thoughts wandered. _Damn lucky I caught the bus, otherwise I'd had to walk all the way from the bar. And that was something I was in no mood to do._ You could say that Sha Gojyo lived on the edge, not only in lifestyle but in location as well. The apartment building he lived in was in a border district. If one walked a few blocks in one direction, you entered the fringe areas of Hyakugan Maoh's Territory. They rarely made it this far but they still claimed ownership. But if you walked a few blocks in the other direction one would find themselves in the outskirts of Gyumaoh's District, not like that was a total surprise considering Gyumaoh owned most of the city. But the narrow line between the two realms remained oddly neutral. And this was one aspect that drew the young man here.

For years he had wandered from city to city searching for a place he belonged. And he didn't know why or how gangs always seemed attracted to him, but they constantly tried to recruit him for one side or another. Not like he would join any gang, he made that decision long ago. Maybe it was his flamboyant I-don't-give-a-damn attitude that lured them. Or perhaps, it was his looks, which he happened to be very proud of. His wild black hair had streaks of red where he bleached and died the stripes in. His wardrobe was loose, comfortable and flattered his thin muscular tone. But his favourite article was his worn leather jacket he sported. At one time it belonged to his older brother, but when he took off after the attack, it was left behind. When Gojyo decided to leave as well, he took it in hopes of returning it to its owner, but that seemed unlikely after a while so he started wearing it himself. And it was because of said jacket that he now found himself walking home solo.

At the little bar he was earning his keep at - not by actual work mind you, but by winning it - he was finding his luck was at a peak. He was just starting another hand that would undoubtedly steal the last bucks his buddy had when a new girl sauntered on over to him. He didn't know her name, who she was, where she came from, and quite possibly couldn't even recognize her again if he needed to, but one side comment fouled his mood enough for him to leave right then and there. _'Isn't that the symbol for the Demon clan? I haven't seen one of those around in a while, were you a member?'_

Instead of answering her question, he called it a night and left. In one sense he should thank her, because he was able to catch the last bus that stopped in his area. But on the other hand, the memories it conjured up annoyed him. A night of blood and terror. If he wanted to, he could tell the woman exactly why she hadn't seen any _Demons_ around, it was because their rivals, the Huang Long gang saw fit to slaughter them all. _Well mostly,_ he prayed. He still hadn't found his brother. And even if he wasn't an official member he was a Demon by association.

Jien wasn't home when a few Huang Long had broke into their home, but he did manage to stop them before they could finish the young boy off. Unfortunately he was too late to save their mom - or step-mom rather. Gojyo was a bastard in the literal sense of the word. His real mom died in childbirth and his father decided to take him home. Needless to say, his step-mom was not exactly pleased with the new addition but she tried to deal as best she could. She never showed any emotions to the boy other than her continual depression. There were even times she struck out at the child that reminded her of his father.

You might ask what his father thought about all this, but it would be pointless. The bastard - in the other sense of the word - took off shortly after he got tired of the 'home life.' They never saw him again. Not like it mattered. Jien always took care of him, and he did save him on that horrible night. But even now Gojyo missed him. A 'che' escaped him in response to the memories. Deciding that they weren't worth his trouble anymore he pushed them back to the recesses of his mind and walked on.

All those thoughts and feelings and moments of the past flitted across the landscape of his mind's eye in the blink of an eye. In reality, he had only walked half a block when he banished them. It was at this precise moment a light drizzle started to fall.

He knew a storm was brewing, when he stepped out of the bar flashes lit up the night sky briefly. It rapidly moved in from the time he got on the bus and the time he walked off. All Gojyo knew was he was glad he was so close to home. He was in no mood to get caught by the pending downpour.

Suddenly, just up ahead, he heard a loud rumble. It could have almost been mistaken for thunder if not for the pained moan that followed it. Curious as to the source, Gojyo picked up the pace to reach the opening of an alley. In the dim street light he caught sight of a garbage can that rolled on its side. He knew that that was the cause of the rumble but he still didn't see what had moaned. In a quick flash from the growing storm above, he saw a shadow that resembled a figure leaning against a dumpster.

As he watched, the dark form pushed off and took an awkward step before collapsing against the side again. The impact elicited another pained cry from the figure. Without really knowing why he was bothering with a stranger, Gojyo called out, "Hey man, You ok?" Even as the words left his mouth, his eyes were rolling. It was pretty damned obvious that the guy wasn't ok, but he had asked the stupid question anyway. Despite the distance between them, Gojyo could hear the startled gasp. "It's alright man, I'm not going to hurt you." He took a tentative step forward.

The reaction was abundantly clear that whoever it was, he was extremely frightened. For each step Gojyo took forward, the figure staggered desperately backward. In only a couple of paces, the figure ran out of support and crashed to the ground. One handed he tried to scoot himself away. Quick shallow breaths escaped the shadow.

Gojyo put his hands up in plain view and said, "Stop man, see I don't have anything. Listen, it sounds like you need help, why don't you let me..."

"no!" Rough tenor cut through the night making Gojyo stop once more. Thunder rolled across the sky reminding him that time was growing short. He could feel the droplets increase and gain weight.

"If you are hurt, it would probably be best to get you out of the rain. I'm sure it can't be good for you." Painstakingly slow, he eased himself closer to the young man who was now backed against a wall. "Come on, my place is just around the corner." Crouching beside the silhouette, he started to realize there was a funny smell in the air – and it wasn't the garbage. But when the next lightning bolt illuminated the alley, he knew exactly what it was he smelt. Blood. And there was so much of it.

Unconsciously, he whispered, "Gods." The young man's clothes and face were spattered with the crimson liquid. Without thinking, he said, "Man I think you need a doctor. We should get you to a hospital."

"no," a shaky voice commanded, "no hospital."

"You don't sound too good and I can't see where all that blood came from. We really should get you to where they can..."

"No!" The word punctuated with a surprisingly strong push.

Gojyo fell back on his butt and as he said, "Alright man, you win," a pained cry tore from the other youth. An odd emotion washed over Gojyo. He couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but it left him feeling rather annoyed that the stranger was so stubborn. _Well, I can be stubborn too._ Scowling he started to get up, "Fine man, you say 'no hospital' then no hospital, but you are not going to sit out here in the rain and bleed to death when I have something to say about it. You're coming with me and that's final, ya got that?" Regardless of the man's refusal or acceptance, Gojyo was prepared to drag him back to his place anyway. Fortunately, the wounded figure was in too much agony to fight back any more and relented when his saviour yanked him to his feet.

Pulling an arm over his shoulders, Gojyo wrapped one of his arms around the other's waist to support them. The rain started to come down now, not quite an all out downpour yet, but it wouldn't be far off. Gojyo knew they had to move and started for his apartment. With little resistance, they made it to the entrance of his building just as the sky opened up to rinse the world clean.

The hard part was the stairs. The building was old and the landlord never bothered to worry about getting an elevator installed. Normally, he didn't care, but when practically carrying a full other body up them, he now wished for the convenience. Stopping in front of his door, he managed to hold the man up and fumble for his keys at the same time. The interior was dark and it was only his familiarity with the layout that got them safely to the bed in the studio apartment.

Settling his guest on the thin mattress, he quickly dumped his jacket on the back of a chair and turned on the light. "Now let's check out the damage. Hopefully, my first aid kit will be able to handle it." Turning back at the now visible man, Gojyo stopped dead in his tracks. The blood was prevalent on torn garments, but what really stopped him dead was that the stranger couldn't have been older than himself, which happened to be a mere nineteen years of age. In truth the wounded body lying on his bed looked a good deal younger but that was more than likely due to the smooth soft features of his face and thin build.

Recovering from his momentary stupor, he walked over to the bed. "Try to relax, I just want to see where you're hurt." Cautiously, he tugged at wet clothing to locate any cuts that may have caused all the blood. At first it looked as if there wasn't anything too serious but when he pulled the bottom of his shirt up to reveal a large gash in the stomach, he whistled his discovery. "That looks nasty. You'll probably need stitches or something. Sure you don't want to go the hospital?"

And for the first time since he was drug from the alley, the man spoke, "no, no hospitals." As tired and strained as the voice was, it brooked no room for argument.

"Well, I'm no doctor. I'll do my best, but it'll probably hurt - a lot." Smirking, he added, "For your sake, I hope you pass out quickly." He laughed sardonically as he wondered if anything he did would actually help. A shaky hand came up to grasp his shirt. And in the next instant Gojyo couldn't get a breath. The most stunning set of green eyes looked up at him conveying too many emotions for his simple mind to comprehend. And something deep in his soul told him exactly what he needed to say. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. I'll keep you safe. Now rest while I fix you up."

Sparkling jaded gems were concealed beneath soft brown lashes, as the stranger finally succumbed to pain and exhaustion. Gojyo silently watched his anonymous patient before going to get a change of clothes, some washcloths and bandages and his meager little first aid kit. All the while he pondered the enigma that walked into his life. But one thing was certain, he would not let any more harm come to the man. He knew exactly what it was like to be lost and alone and he wasn't about to let another soul go through it, even if it was a complete stranger.

So with extra special care, he cleaned the blood away and bound the injuries as best he could before slipping some fresh clothes on the unconscious figure. And when that was all done, he finally changed himself. Not even the least bit upset about loosing his bed, he flopped onto a well-worn couch and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Well, that's interesting, no reviews. Oh well, I'm writing this because I'm having fun anyway. Anyway, if you wouldn't mind and you actually were curious enough to read this, a review would definitely be welcome. And just to make a quick amendment to my previous AN's, I think Goku's more like 16-17. Don't worry, him and Sanzo show up next chap. Well, I guess I'll be back next chap, hope there are some reviews by then. If not, no matter, I'll post anyway. :D Tchüss!


	3. Chapter 2

Crystal – Thank you SOOOOOOO much for reviewing!!! :D You've made me very happy. I've got a nice long chap for you, so I hope you enjoy. ;)

Hello everyone, as promised Sanzo and Goko enter the fic now. I hope you like it. Thanks for reading!! :D

* * *

Sirens and red and blue lights surrounded the building. The flimsy yellow tape sectioned off the block. An annoyed huff escaped the man as he pulled his car up to the edge. Obviously recognizing who he was, the guarding officers lifted the tape enough for the car to slip past. Finding a spot to park, he slowly stepped out of the patrol car. Pulling his collar up high, he hurried into the building to dodge the coming storm. As the door slung closed behind him, he already had a cigarette in his mouth and was lighting it.

One of the chief officers noticed his entrance and immediately made his way over to greet him, "Officer Sanzo, glad you could make it." Sanzo didn't even bother with a response. His keen gaze sweeping the area automatically looking for clues.

"So what happened?" A deep, rough voice demanded.

"It's still under investigation, but from what we can tell it looks like someone has wiped out the Hyakugan Maoh Clan, even the big man hisself."

"That leaves too many suspects to count. They weren't exactly the most liked gang."

"You ain't kidding. Right now we got some of our boys scouring the area for witnesses. It looks like who ever took the HM's out also freed the 'merchandise' as well. As soon as we round one of them up, I'm sure we'll get a better picture of what happened here. In the meantime, you want to check the place out?"

"Yeah." And with that, Genjo Sanzo started his tour of the massacre at Hyakugan Maoh's 'castle.' The first couple rooms only had a few bodies strewn about. But as he got further in, the body count steadily grew. Down the main hall he saw a couple of officers exit a room up ahead. They walked by without any indication of seeing him and that suited him just fine. Beyond the doorway, camera flashes indicated that this was where the investigation was currently taking place.

Stopping in the doorway he surveyed the scene. The room was a lavish office with a solid mahogany desk as the central focus point. Erotic paintings adorned the walls, depicting images that Sanzo would rather not have seen at all. For some reason he felt as if he stepped onto the set of some cheep porn movie. Either way, it disgusted him. Almost as much as the snide remarks from the next room disgusted him. Unfortunately, he had a job to do and he wasn't about to let one ruddy bastard stand in his way.

"By the looks of it, the fat fuck was about to get it on with one of his girls when he was _interrupted_." The remaining detective said with a laugh as the Photographer continued to document the evidence. He stopped immediately when he heard a sharp 'che' from the entrance.

Not only did Sanzo find the comment down right vulgar but also mostly untrue. Hyakugan Maoh was not an obese crime boss in the 'Godfather' sense, yes he was tall with broad shoulders but definitely not fat. In addition, it had been rumoured that he often enjoyed his 'products' regardless of gender or age. But it was true, apparently the clan leader was only in a fine silk robe preparing for a nightly romp when someone decided to end his reign. He was staring at the corpse when his thoughts were disrupted once again.

"So, whatcha think the cause o'death is Sanzo?" The man laughed as if he had just said the funniest joke in the world. Of course, Sanzo didn't find it anywhere close to being humourous. With a flash of annoyance in crisp violet eyes, he ignored the man and moved closer to the bed. Looking down at the stiff hollow of a man, he sensed when the other officer came up behind him. "Coroner said he was stabbed 18 times in the chest. Funny thing is that, it was the blood loss that actually killed him. Apparently, whoever wanted him dead, wanted him to suffer first."

Sanzo continued to look around the bed for clues and the detective followed. Frustrated, he wondered why the Force always employed the most obnoxious and annoying people they possible could, especially those that didn't know when to shut up. He tried to ignore the man, but found it virtually impossible.

"They sure had it easy though with him all tied up like that. Didn't know he was into bondage too." The comment caused the silent officer to nudge a pillow out of the way to see the handcuffs that locked him to the bed. "Either they have thick walls or they thought his screams were cries of passion."

Sanzo had enough. "Shut up, Shu. He may have been a sick disgusting perverted asshole, but with all your comments we could say the same about you. Now leave me alone so I can work."

Properly scolded, Shu's smile faded. "Yeah, whatever you say Sanzo." Without another word he left the room to find someone who would appreciate his humour on the situation.

Finished with his examination of the murder site for now, Sanzo began his search on the rest of the room. From the other side of the room, the photographer commented, "I thought he would never leave."

"Tell me about it, Yoshi."

"I may not have liked the schmuck, in fact I'm glad he's dead, but those crude comments really grate on me, ya know. And it's not because they insult the jerk, but because of the people that have been hurt by him."

"We've been trying for years to crack down on all his business but it's been tough finding evidence and honest cops willing to take out a crime boss. We've found enough of his weapon, drug and sex victims all over. If someone was able to take him down, then I sure would like to shake their hand. Now the only major power left is Gyumaoh." Pain flashed in amethyst eyes at the mention of the domineering clan.

Yoshi recognized it immediately, before it could be deftly hidden behind a cold empty glare. Walking over to the blond, he was about to place a hand on a tense shoulder but stopped prior to making contact. Sadly, his hand dropped but he forged ahead with what he had come to say, "I never got to congratulate you on your promotion. Koumyo would have been proud."

"Thanks but I would have liked to earn it rather than get it out of pity."

"You have earned, you were the top of your class. And you're one of the best cops out there. Your unique perspective has helped solve many cases. I just think they were trying not to show you favouritism because of your partner."

"And now that he's dead, it's ok?" The comment was bitter.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Just drop it ok. I'm not in the mood." Fortunately enough they were interrupted by the clearing of a throat. Two heads snapped in the direction of the noise.

"Officer Sanzo, Officer Ryuichi sent me to find you. We found a witness and they've already obtained a statement, but he wanted to discuss it with you personally." A young rookie from a class behind him, Sanzo tried to remember his name.

"I'll be right there, Sano."

"Yes, sir." And he quickly turned around. Sanzo noticed how pale the young cop looked, probably not used to seeing so many corpses.

Alone again, Yoshi regarded the young man standing next to him. "Hey Sanzo, don't discredit yourself so readily. You're a fine officer, one Koumyo would be proud of. But if you still have doubts, I hope with enough time, you'll be able to see it too."

Sanzo didn't respond vocally, merely nodded. Without another word, he headed back down to meet up with Ryuichi. As soon as he entered the main hall again, he spotted the elder man talking with a couple of officers. But when they made eye contact, he stopped. Ryuichi automatically moved to meet him. "Finished upstairs?"

"Yeah, so what've you got?"

"Knew it wouldn't take long, a witness was found a few blocks down wandering around. Seemed like she was out of it, drugged more likely, we're going to take some tests to know for sure. Anyway, she said that it was a young man who stormed into the room, told her to leave while he killed whoever was inside. I had Shu run the description through the database. There were a couple of possibles but I thought I might double-check it with you."

Sanzo simple stared at his superior expectantly. "The perp was a young male with dark hair and green or blue eyes somewhere in his late teens early twenties. The girl had seen the man couple times previously but didn't know his name. She also mentioned that he was a recent arrival, said she's been here for a year and only noticed him about a month or so ago." Sanzo waited patiently. He knew the man was leading to something but knew he would get to it in his own time.

Ryuichi continued, "Like I said, we have about three to four suspects at the moment from various walks, but the one match I'm interested in ties into a case a few months back where a young woman was found dead, stabbed, brown hair and green eyes, a Cho Kanan."

Vaguely, some of the details of that case came back to him. As he recalled it was never fully closed. "I remember that. She was found not too far from here."

"Exactly. The hotel she was staying at was the first to report the disappearance. After a quick search, she was found dumped in an alley."

"So what's that got to do with this case?"

"Cho was a twin. The hotel manager said that they had booked a room together. We found one but not the other. You know how Maoh sometimes acquires new finds right off the street. It's possible the snatch went bad, they lost the girl but nabbed the brother anyway."

"You think this Cho guy got his revenge?"

"Why not, while identifying many of the victims here tonight, we noticed that quite a few were also from the Crow clan. We've had reports that they were very big supporters of that aspect of the business. If this Cho Gonou knew that the guys who brought him in were having a party tonight, it would provide a perfect opportunity to wipe out both groups."

"Planning and strategy denotes intelligence." A flash of memory recalled Hyakugan being handcuffed to the bed. He mumbled, "Foreknowledge and knowledge of fetishes would give him the extra boost he would need to take them out without too much resistance. If we can confirm that this Gonou was one of Maoh's toys, I would say that we have a pretty solid lead. In the meantime, let's not close our options. We can't over look anything this early in the game. See if we can find that connection between the Cho's and Hyakugan."

"My thoughts exactly. Thanks for stopping by, I know your shift was already over. It's just, well, I know how much you want to put these groups down. Why don't you call it a night? I'll send you copies of all the reports as soon as I get them."

Sanzo turned away, and lit another cigarette. "Fine. See you in the morning." With that, he left. He had a lot to consider on the drive. He just prayed the stupid monkey at home was already asleep.

After opening the door, he could hear the rain pouring down outside. Pulling up his collar once more, he headed out into the night. The drive home was sullen. His thoughts drifted back to almost 5 months ago. A night not unlike this one, where the rain poured down. A night when he lost someone that was dear to him. When his father's brother, Koumyo Sanzo, was killed during a bust. Genjo Sanzo admired his uncle since he was old enough to remember. The young man's biological parents died in a car accident shortly after his birth. His mother's sister, Kanzeon Bosatsu, had decided to take him in and care for him, but his uncle was his role model.

Koumyo was the reason Genjo went into law enforcement to begin with. He wanted to follow in his uncle's footsteps. He studied hard and did everything he could to make himself ready to enter the Academy. The day he was old enough to enroll, he was waiting at the recruitment office door. He proved that he was capable of taking care of himself. And it came as no surprise when his uncle decided to take the rookie out and show him the ropes. They were fortunate enough to work together for a while.

But that ended abruptly when they headed out to bust some of Gyumaoh's gang. Gyumaoh himself was serving time at the moment. Had been for over a year then, but someone was still running the shop while the boss was away. Unfortunately, no one knew exactly who was keeping things moving. There was often suspicion that Gyumaoh's son, Kougaiji, ran the shop. But for some reason, neither Koumyo nor himself believed that was the case. Something didn't fit and it bothered him. He was determined to find out somehow and take down the entire clan. He wanted retribution for his uncle's death, but it would come by serving justice and bringing them in.

It was Koumyo's wish that they finally clean up their beloved city of Togenkyo and free them of these crime rings. But that dream was cut short along with his life. Now the quest had been silently taken up by Genjo. They were getting close to taking out Hyakugan Maoh and the Crow clan along with them. But after tonight's events he didn't have to worry about that any more. The harder task was knocking out Gyumaoh. He had hoped that by destroying Hyakugan he could find a back door into Gyumaoh. It always amazed him that even though they were considered rivals, opposing syndicates would still do business.

In the blink of an eye, his opportunities had been lost. He would have to start over to find a way to infiltrate Gyumaoh. Sanzo hoped that somehow he could catch a break and manage to fulfil his purpose.

Pulling up to his flat, he hurried inside. As soon as the door closed a jubilant excited voice called, "Sanzo!! You're home!"

"No shit," he snipped back. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why he agreed to take the monkey in.

A seventeen-year-old Goku bound up to him. "It's late and I was beginning to worry. I'm just glad to see you're all right. Did you eat yet? I can make us something real quick if you want."

"Haven't you already eaten?"

Two voices answered his question this time. Goku's joyful 'uh-huh.' And from the next room, Kanzeon came over to greet them, she leaned in the doorway, "Of course he has. But you know him. Nice of you to join us, by the way. You know I do have appointments I must attend first thing in the morning."

"It's not like I wanted to keep you waiting. You could have just left."

"Goku would have panicked if he were by himself." She remarked knowingly. She watched as Sanzo lit up another cigarette. "Looks like you've had a rough night."

"Someone decided to wipe the earth clean of Hyakugan Maoh's filth tonight."

"Now that's news. You'll just have to give me the gory details later, I really must be going. Chow." Not even waiting for a response, she gathered her coat and left.

"Annoying old hag," the blond mumbled under his breath. Standing in the foyer, he enjoyed the methodic inhalation of smoke. Expelling the grey haze, he answered Goku's earlier question. "It's still before 1. That pizza delivery shop should still be open. Hurry up and order so we can go to sleep."

"Alright, pizza!" His simple ward ran off to call in their order. Soon after the meal arrived and was consumed almost as quickly. Not bothering with the dishes, the pair went to their rooms and drifted off into a deep slumber.

* * *

Thanks again, and please if you can spare a moment, please, Please, PLEASE Review!! Domo! ;)


	4. Chapter 3

Yeah, more reviews!! :D Thank you so much for reading. I hope this chap is just as entertaining. If you like it don't forget to review.

hethosus – Thank you very much. That was exactly what I was going for. I'm so glad it's working out. Thanks again! :D

Goddess-Shalamar – Thank you! I really have enjoyed writing this and hopefully it will continue to keep some of it's original charm while adding new twists along the way. Thanks again!! :D

Now, on with the chap!...

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Awareness came slowly to him. At first it was the absence of noise that made his mind wonder. There had always been noise, always been business at Hyakugan Maoh's place. Then he noticed the smells, a mixture of musk and mildew. Where ever he was it wasn't very clean. Forcing his eyes to open, he gazed up at a ceiling that had a light stain of a water ring from a leak above him. Without realizing it, he commented aloud, "This doesn't look like hell."

"Don't be too hasty, you might find out you're mistaken." A voice said behind him. The originator moved into his line of vision. Cropped hair in the back, the top was wild and accented with red stripes. Bright scarlet eyes looked down at him, and with a broad smile, Gojyo greeted, "Welcome back to the living, sleeping beauty. I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to wake up."

"huh?"

"You've been out of it for the past few days. I had a nurse friend of mine stop by to take a look at you. I know you said no hospitals, but I had to make sure you were going to pull through. Anyway, he managed to sew up that gash in your stomach. Sorry man, there's going to be a scar. I didn't think you would mind so much seeing as how you were out cold for a while. You ended up sleeping through 4 whole days. So how're feeling?" The young man rattled on not leaving much room to comment until now.

Sighing, he answered truthfully, "Tired." And his benefactor laughed loudly at the comment.

"Don't that beat all. Do you think you can manage food?"

"I can try."

"Good, I'll make us something, it's lunch time and I was about to find a bite anyway." The overly friendly young man walked away but kept talking. "Sorry, all I got is junk food. I haven't had time to go out and shop seeing as I was watching over you. If you think you'll be ok, I can go out tonight. Just tell me what you like and I'll be sure to pick it up for you."

Gonou was surprised by his new environment. Considering the lavish rooms he had been trapped in, this practically plain and homely little apartment seemed so much more inviting. And there was just something about his host that told him he was in no danger. This alone took a lot off his mind. A shudder ran through him as a flash of his previous existence sprang forward. Cautiously he lifted his hands, half expecting to see them covered with blood still, and found them spotless. He was glad to be free again but was hoping to have followed his sister to the afterlife. Disappointment burned in his chest. Closing his eyes, he sighed. Apparently, his life would not end so easily for him.

It was in the sudden silence that he realized his host was waiting for some type of response. Not really in the mood to discuss favourite foods, he asked, "I'm presuming you're the one who saved me, right?"

The soft noises of preparation stopped all together. Gojyo slowly returned to his line of vision, a frown on his face. "Yeah." Cautiously, he added, "But you didn't want to be saved, did you?"

Shrugging, he winced as the movement caused his entire body to ache. Just another reminder of how close he had been to his goal, only to find he failed. "Right now, I don't know what I want. But if you really want to know, yes, I didn't want to be saved."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Please don't take it the wrong way, I am extremely grateful for your help. It's just I wasn't expecting it and so I really wasn't expecting to survive."

"That's too bad. It looked like you went through hell and back and it would be a damn shame to lose you by something as pointless as that."

Curious, Gonou glanced over at his caretaker. "How can you say that, you don't even know me."

"True, but I did go through all that work to save you. And I can already tell that you're a real nice guy. So far as I'm concerned, it would have been a damn shame if you died that night. Now you just lay there and relax and I'll finish up lunch."

"Thank you."

"No sweat."

"What are you doing here?"

Kanzeon smiled at her nephew, "I was in the area and I thought I would drop by for lunch."

Sanzo favoured her with a scowl and then went back to reviewing the report he was looking at. "I'm busy." He said it as if to end the conversation. Obviously, his aunt would not be so easily put off.

"Oh, I'm sure you can spare a half hour for me."

"Whatever."

"Come on, or do I have to talk to your captain and make it an order?"

Realizing he was not going to win, he turned the tide. "Fine, but you're paying."

"As if there was ever any doubt." Her smile broad and knowing.

Standing up, Sanzo grabbed his jacket and the pair left the precinct. "So where are we going anyway?"

"A little Chinese restaurant around the corner. They have a buffet that I hear's pretty good." Barely listening to her, he lit up and walked on. Their destination was only a few blocks away so they didn't bother with a car. The rest of their trek was done in silence.

Once they were seated and had the first plateful on their table did Sanzo re-open the conversation. "So why are you really here?"

"Does an aunt need a reason to spend time with her nephew?" She asked innocently. "How's your pet?"

"I doubt Goku's the reason you're here, but he's fine."

"Glad to see you two getting along so well. I was afraid it may have been a mistake to leave him with you." About two years ago, the benefactress had stumbled upon the youth while heading for an orphanage. He was sitting at the entrance to an alley staring off into nothing. Apparently, the kid had no idea who he was or where he came from and her nature would not permit her to leave the kid there. She brought him home and took care of him for a while. Both Koumyou and Genjo stopped by her home frequently back then and she could see the bond growing between the blonde and wayward monkey. It was only after the elder Sanzo's death that she suggested that Goku move in with him. She hoped that the her nephew's disposition might improve now that he had someone to care for again. In some ways it did help, but in general the young police officer was still tightly locked in his shell. Her musing was interrupted by harsh baritone.

"It _was_ a mistake. Did you come here to take him back, because if you did, you can have him."

"No, I still think he's good for you." Sanzo let out a 'che' of annoyance and she smiled in response. "So has there been any new developments on the Hyakugan Maoh case?"

"Not yet. We're still in the midst of going through everything. We have a team going over accounts, and another through some of their books. They've got layer upon layer we're trying to weed through to get to the core of what we're looking for. It'll probably be another few weeks before we can get a clearer picture on all the rackets they were in."

Curious about another aspect of the case, she asked, "Have you figured out who did it yet?"

"No, we're leaving all our options open still."

A moment's pause allowed her to sort through some memories. "You mentioned that you might have a good lead, what was his name again?"

"I believe you are referring to Cho Gonou." Sanzo was annoyed. He just wanted to finish eating and get back to work. And all her tedious questions were starting to grate his nerves. Besides, this particular case still didn't settle well with him. There was something he was missing. He was sure of it and he didn't want to be bothered with idle speculaition, which is what she was trying to pull out of him.

"That's it. Did you find him yet?"

"We can't even be certain that he was at Hyakugan's yet. Or if he's still alive at this point."

Taking a fork full of food, she questioned inquisitively, "And you haven't plastered his face all over the news yet?"

Yet again his gut told him he was doing the right thing, but he never knew how to explain it. And for some reason he presumed others would think him weird or worse, weak. Sighing, he answered, "I requested that it not be broadcast all over the place. He may be our prime suspect but if our theories are correct he's just as much a victim."

She stopped in mid-motion, her full fork suspended just in front of her. Her head tilted slightly to the side as a small grin spread across her face. "Compassion? You have changed, Genjo." _Maybe the monkey's presence has helped after all,_ she thought.

"What are you talking about?" He scowled. "I'm the same as I ever was."

"Sure you are." They finished their meal and walked back to the precinct. "Well, it's been fun. We'll have to do this again sometime. Chow." Kanzeon continued on to her car. Sanzo took a few more drags off his third cigarette on the walk back from the restaurant before returning to his duty, burying himself once again in piles of information.

"I'm back. You never did tell me what you liked, so I tried to get a bit of everything." Gojyo announced when he came through the door bags in hand. Without pausing he headed to the tiny kitchenette. "You up for dinner now? I'm not the best cook, which is why I got a lot of prepped foods, but I can whip us some grub pretty quick. Or if you prefer, we can get something delivered." Putting away the provisions, he contented himself with the one sided conversation. But now that he was done, he headed back in the main room to see how his guest was doing. "Hey man, you asleep again or something?"

As Gojyo got closer, he started to get a bad feeling about his companion's silence. Unfortunately, those feelings were right more often than not, and it proved itself again. The young man in the bed faced the wall and had the blanket pulled up tight over him. Desperately pulling it closer to him, the tremors that went through Gonou could easily be seen.

Suddenly concerned, Gojyo asked, "You ok?" Gently he placed a hand on a trembling shoulder and rocked the figure back so he could see his face. Immediately, he dropped to one knee beside the bed the instant he saw the pale sweaty features. "What's wrong? What's happening?"

Pleading jades peered up at him. Through clenched teeth and tight lips he could barely hear the shaky tenor, "th-th-they would g-g-give me som-m-thing t-to keep-p me doc-cile."

"You were drugged man? Damn." Gojyo was at a loss, he never had to deal with anything like this before. "This is so beyond me. I got to get you help."

A hand shot out and grabbed his wrist by the time he stood up. Glancing down, his eyes questioned. "no, p-please." There was a desperation in the voice that touched Gojyo's heart. He put his free hand on a shoulder to reassure the young man.

"Alright, man. I remember, no hospitals. But please, let me call my friend. He's a Registered Nurse, he can at least tell us what to do. Don't worry, he's cool."

The slow release of his wrist was his answer. Quickly he went to the phone. "Hey Tonpu, yeah it's me Gojyo. That's the reason I'm calling. No it's not that. Look, wherever he came from, they were giving him drugs. I think he's going through withdrawal or something and I have no clue how to deal with it. Got any advice?" A series of 'yeahs' and 'uh-huhs' followed. After a brief conversation, he said, "Alright, man, thanks. I owe ya. Yeah, more than before. Later."

Hanging up the phone, Gojyo just stood there for a moment trying to figure out what to do. A pained moan pulled him from his thoughts. He quickly went back to his patient's side and tried to help, but he felt infinitely useless. "Shhh, it'll be ok, I promise. It's just going to take some time for you to get better. My buddy Tonpu says it could take a week or two for your body to adjust to the lack of drugs. And since we don't know what it is they gave you, there's no way for us to wean you off it. I really am sorry man. I had no idea that this was something you were going to have to suffer through. Are you in pain right now? He said I can give you some over the counter drugs that could help with any symptoms you have."

Gonou had heard of withdrawal before, but his rather sheltered youth kept him from bearing witness to it. Not that he wished for a horrible childhood, it was bad enough as it was, but he wished he knew what to expect and how to cope. But all those thoughts were fleeting as the weakened muscles in his stomach cramped. The pain was excruciating. Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to bite back another cry.

"I've got some ibuprofen, I'll go get it. Hang on, man." Gojyo rushed to collect the medicine and a glass of water. Tenderly, he helped Gonou sit up enough to drink and swallow the pills. Once that was taken care of, he stayed by the wounded man's side whispering assurances and support. Eventually, Gonou drifted off into a troubled sleep. Gojyo heated up a frozen dinner, but unfortunately didn't get the chance to eat it until much later. Gonou had woken up from the smell and coughed up the few bites he had that afternoon. Hours would pass before the sick youth could find solace once more.

And that would be how Gojyo and Gonou would live for the next week and a half.

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Well, I hope you enjoyed! As always, thanks for reading!! Please leave a review! I'm dying to know what you think. Domo!

Ari-kun :D


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